Torpedo-netting.



N. T. FOGG.

TORFEDO NETTING.

APPLICATION man MAYI. 1911.

l 27 l 689. Patented July 9, 1918..

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NEWELL T. FOGG, F SANFORD, MAINE.

TORPEDO-NETTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application led May 7, 1917. Serial No. 166,950.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, NnwELL T. Foce, a citizen of the United States, and a Vresident of Sanford, in the county of York and State of AMaine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo-Nettings,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for protecting vessels from dirigible torpedoes, mines and the like, and has for its object the construction of a protecting means of this nature which may be carried by a vessel when not in a danger zone, and thereby kept from being a drag upon the speed thereof; which may be kept in reserve at the outskirts of a danger zone for immediate protection of a ship entering the same; which may at will be employed as a mine sweeper and netting either independently or jointly, and which shall embody other details of improvement hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of a Steamship carrying the protecting means unsubmerged. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the vessel showing the protecting means in defensive operation, both against torpedoes and mines. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the units which composes the protecting means. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the ball-andsocket connection between a net and one of its supporting and propelling boats. Fig. 5 is a modified form of the invention.

My invention consists essentially of a series of netting units each provided with both a supporting and a dirigible means. As illustrated in Fig. 1, such a unit comprises a suitable frame 1 and netting 2 of any desired type, and a power boat 3 at each end thereof. The frame is connected with each boat by means of two goose-neck bars 4 meeting at a ball 5 conned in a socket 6 suitably fastened to the keelson of the same, as shown at the right hand end of the unit in Fig. 3.

Thus connected, and each goose-neck 4 being spaced far enough apart from its neighbor to allow ample room for the boat 3, each boat can pitch, toss and roll as freely as may be necessary, and can also be steered in any direction, or turned end for end,or at right angles to the plane of the netting.

These units can be supported unon davits in a well known manner and carried free of the water by the ship 9, as indicated in Fig. 1., until auch time as a danger Zone is reached,

of twenty-iive or fifty feet from the latter,

and urging their engines to the requisite speed, maintain the relative positions until the danger Zone is passed. If a torpedo meets and is exploded by one of the units and the netting and perhaps one of its boats put out of commission, the remaining units can be positioned to fill the gap and continue to protect the vitals of the vessel, and one or two units can come around from the other side of the Steamship and lend their aid to the attacked units.-

If preferred, a large number of the protective units can be held at the margin of a danger zone and assembled to shield and pilot any approaching vessel.

One or more such units can be made to propel the netting at right angles to the forward direction of the boats 3, and thereby to protect the following vessel from floating or anchored mines, as shown at the right hand end of Fig. 2.

At times it is desirable to render the power boats 3 fixed in their alinement with the netting. For example, should the man operating one boat be shot or otherwise incapacitated from steering it, the man in the other boat can at once climb along the bar 14, balancing himself by the hand-rail 15, and engage the two arms 16, 17 with the goose-neck 4. He can then return to his own boat and trail the netting and the other boat after him.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5, the ball and socket 5, 6 is bolted to the under surface of the keel of each power boat, and the netting frame connected directly therewith by the vertical rod-members 19.

It will be observed that in this construction, as well as in that first described, the boats can not only be reversed in direction, but can be turned to positions transverse to the netting.

What I claim is:

1. A protection against torpedoes and the like, comprising a comparatively iniiexible frame, intercepting means carried by said frame, and a boat pivotall)7 connected to each end of said frame, the pivotal connection to each boat being at substantially its longitudinal and transverse center and adapted to permit the boat to be turned to any point in the compass independently of the frame. i

,2. A protection against torpedoes the like, comprising a comparatively inflexible fresia ieteiceptine ree/eee Carried by Seid frame, andabhoyant'sipporting `means pivotally connected to each end of the frame to permit each means to be turned to` any point ,in the Compass independently of said frame, anol means for looking either supporting means in alinenient With said frame.

proteetion against torpedoes and the like, .omprisinga comparatively inflexible.

frame, intercepting means carried by said frame, and a boat pivotally connected to each nend of said traine, the pivotal .conneef tion embracing -in each case a ball and socket adaptedv to permit the boat to be guided in any direction relative to the said frame.

4. A protection against torpedoes and the like, comprising a I"comparatively inexible frame, intercepting meanscarried by said frame, langl a boat pivotally connected' to each end of said frame, the pivotal connections being adapted to permit the boats to be turned to any vpoints in the compass independently of said frame.

5. protection against torpedoes and the like., comprising an elongated frame, netting the connected gooseneeks to permit the same to turn .in a y direction horizontally relative t0 the frame.

In testimony that I elaim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of May, 1917.

savent if. Foee,

Witnesses:

E. M. Roenes, ALFRED M. Foes.

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